Beauty Products Company Refused to Hire Men for Sales Positions, Federal Agency Charged

MIAMI -- A wholesaler of beauty products and jewelry with operations throughout Puerto Rico violated federal law when it refused to hire men for sales positions and retaliated against a male employee who sought a sales position at the company, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed today.

According to the EEOC lawsuit, Ventura Corporation Ltd.’s management refused to hire men for sales jobs because such positions were set aside only for women. After a male employee filed a charge of discrimination with the EEOC, Ventura placed him into a sales position and retaliated against him by imposing unequal discipline and depriving him of resources available to female sales representatives. Subsequently, the male employee was fired in retaliation for his complaints to management about ongoing discriminatory policies.

Sex discrimination and retaliation for complaining about it violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Case No. XXXXXX) in U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

“This lawsuit is part of the EEOC’s systemic initiative, undertaken to combat company-wide discriminatory employment practices like this one,” said Malcolm S. Medley, director of the EEOC’s Miami District Office. “The EEOC will take action against employers who fail to protect both men and women from hiring discrimination.”

The EEOC’s Miami regional attorney, Robert Weisberg, noted, “Our agency will aggressively litigate Title VII violations to remind employers that they must make employment decisions solely based on the applicant’s ability to perform the duties of the job.”

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on the agency’s web site at www.eeoc.gov.